


All Bound Up

by ladysockalot



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-17
Updated: 2010-03-17
Packaged: 2017-10-17 20:05:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/180708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladysockalot/pseuds/ladysockalot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Really Merlin should have known better. Enchanting a rope was a tricky thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Bound Up

**Author's Note:**

> Episode tag (of sorts) for 2x08. Thanks to archaeologist_d's post for the spell meaning. This fic is dedicated to chaosmaka without whom I would never have fully realised the potential of enchanted, magical rope.

Really Merlin should have known better. He should have realised that enchanting a rope was going to have certain consequences. Of course at the time he hadn't really through what casting a spell on a rope would actually do. He hadn't enchanted a rope before so he had actually used a spell he thought would work but he had neglected to realise the precise meaning.

If he had looked in his magic book to double check what the spell 'Ic þé geháta, searubunden' meant he would have discovered it meant not as he had thought 'bind around me' or some variation thereof. What it actually meant was 'Thee, I bound-with-art's promises'. It wasn't that much different however the effects certainly were.

Merlin hadn't given the rope a second thought since he had tried, and failed, to lower Arthur gently down to the ground. He was glad at least the dung had been there to break Arthur's fall, even if Arthur hadn't been. As far as Merlin was concerned that had been the end of it. They had abandoned the rope on the dung heap and that had been that.

Two days later Merlin was cleaning Arthur's room when he noticed the rope coiled up at the foot of Arthur's bed. He went and examined it, picking the end up to get a closer look. He recognised it as the rope he had borrowed for Arthur's escape. Wondering how it had ended up back in Arthur's chambers Merlin decided a servant must have seen it and assumed it was Arthur's.

Leaving the rope he went and began to go about his chores, as usual Arthur had given quite a list. Merlin decided to start by cleaning out the old ashes from the fireplace and putting fresh wood in place ready for the evening. As he carefully swept the ashes up and put them in a bucket he got a funny feeling he was being watched.

Thinking it was just his paranoia at Arthur catching him with his head in the fireplace Merlin ignored it. He finished the fireplace and stood up. He hadn't got took dirty this time either. Feeling quite pleased with himself Merlin turned around to pick up the bucket and found the rope was looking at him.

Obviously as a rope it didn't have eyes but the end was upright and seemed to be imitating the shape of a swan's head and neck, causing it to appear like some sort of strange creature. Merlin stood there staring at it, not sure what he should do. Clearly it was enchanted and clearly he had been the one responsible (unless some other sorcerer had enchanted a rope in the last few days) however he wasn't sure how to fix it.

He decided the best thing to do would be to get hold of the rope and hide it away somewhere until he could find a counter spell. Carefully in inched closer to the rope which seemed to tilt its 'head' slightly.

“I'm not going to hurt you,” Merlin said, aware of how silly it was to be talking to a rope. He was glad that at least the rope didn't talk back. It just swayed gently.

Reaching out his hand Merlin got closer to the rope, within touching distance. He worked out where exactly to grab the rope and moved forward. However the rope moved off to one side. Merlin overcompensated and tripped up over his own feet, landing on the cold hard floor.

The rope raised itself up and swayed slightly as if it was laughing at him. Merlin was determined not to be beaten by a rope. Not even an enchanted one. He picked himself up and pursed his lips together as he worked out the best plan of attack. He decided to aim low this time.

He darted forward quickly, but not quickly enough as the rope moved out the way again. He had been so close, but he still ended up bruising his elbows as he broke his fall. The rope seemed to be dancing now which caused Merlin to be more annoyed. He pushed himself forward from his sitting potion but that was even worse as he hit his head on one of the table legs.

Trying not to pant Merlin wondered if perhaps he was going about it all wrong. He could surely cast another spell on the rope to freeze it in it;s tracks. That would even up the odds and might solve the problem. He thrust out his hand and yelled, “FreÓsan!”

Unfortunately the rope dodged out of the way and instead Merlin's spell hit the leg of one of Arthur's cupboards which suddenly appeared to ice over. It seemed that whatever he had done to the rope it had some kind of intelligence. This wasn't going to be easy.

After de-icing the cupboard leg Merlin turned his attention back to the rope. He was running out of ideas. He couldn't grab it and avoided two more spells. It was a problem and the last thing Merlin wanted was for Arthur to find him battling with an enchanted rope.

He tried talking to to nicely again. “Please, I am asking you nicely to come with me.”

The rope seemed to be considering this.

“I won't hurt you, honestly. I just need you to come out of here with me.”

The rope slowly moved toward and Merlin smiled. “That's it, come on.”

Slowly the rope came ever closer. Merlin could see this working. That was until suddenly the rope darted forward quickly and wrapped itself around Merlin;s legs.

“What are you doing? No!” Merlin protested as he lost his balance.

He wasn't sure whether it was a happy accident or whether the rope had pulled him but ended up toppling over onto Arthur's bed. It did make a nice change from the floor but it still wasn't ideal. He tried to pull at the rope around his legs but as he did so more of the rope wrapped itself around his wrists, making his hands next to useless. Merlin struggled but it was not good. Here he was, on Arthur's bed, trussed up like a bit of prize game.

For the next hour, or what felt like an hour, Merlin tried to undo the rope without success. The more he struggled the tighter the rope got. It wound itself around his arms and his waist. It got to the point where he couldn't even shuffle around on the bed, not that he wanted to risk it given that the alternative to the bed was the cold, stone floor. He just hoped he could think of a way of out the situation before Arthur appeared.

As the door clicked open Merlin realised that he had run out of time. He was glad that at least he wasn't facing the door so he couldn't see Arthur's face.

“Merlin? What are you doing?” Arthur said.

Merlin heard the door close and Arthur's footsteps come toward the bed.

“Erm...nothing.”

“Have you tied yourself up?” Merlin could hear the disbelief in Arthur;s voice.

“Not exactly,” Merlin admitted as he struggled against his bonds.

Arthur came around to talk to Merlin face to face. “Someone else tied you up?”

“Sort of,” Merlin replied, regretting again that he wasn't better at lying.

“Sort of? Was this some sort of game, Merlin?” Arthur was looking far too amused for Merlin's liking.

“No,” Merlin replied. “I can explain, really.”

“I'm sure you can,” Arthur replied, reaching out as if to untie Merlin.

Merlin would have been pleased to be untied had he not felt the rope shifting toward Arthur. “Arthur, no!”

Before Arthur could pull back at Merlin's warning the rope wound itself around his arm and pulled him forward. “Merlin!”

Arthur fell forward; onto Merlin. The rope loosened from Merlin but he couldn't take advantage as now the rope was winding itself around both himself and Arthur. Arthur was still lying on top of him and he could see the shock on his face. Merlin also tried to ignore how nice it was to feel Arthur on top on him, their legs wrapped around each other with the use of rope. It would have very pleasant apart from the complication of a certain enchanted rope.

What was also pleasant was how it felt as Arthur was pushed up against him as he struggled to free himself from the rope. “Well, don't just lie there, Merlin,” Arthur said. “We need to get out of this rope.”

Merlin sighed. “ I know. What do you think I've been trying to do for the last hour?”

“Well, now there are two of us I'm sure we can find a way to untie ourselves,” Arthur said, sounding supremely confident.

“Arthur, this is an enchanted rope,” Merlin said, noticing how straining against the ropes gave Arthur a very nice flushed look. A flushed look that made it seem as if Arthur had been doing something other than straining at the ropes.

Arthur groaned. “An enchanted rope?”

Merlin nodded. “Yes.”

Arthur leaned down and buried his face in Merlin;s neck. The hairs on his neck prickled as Merlin felt Arthur's breath. It seemed as if Arthur was mumbling something about magic but Merlin couldn't hear what it was. He was trying not to close his eyes so he could enjoy the sensation.

“I said, who would use magic on a rope?” Arthur's voice sounded annoyed. “Merlin! This is no time for sleeping!”

Merlin realised he had apparently closed his eyes. “I'm not asleep. I was resting my eyes.”

Arthur didn't look convinced. “So, Merlin, do you want to tell me who enchanted this rope?”

Merlin bit his lip. “I don't know.”

“Don;t lie to me, Merlin,” Arthur replied.

As close as they were and with no escape Merlin couldn't hide the truth. “All right; I did. But I didn't mean for it to tie us up.”

Arthur threw his head back, as much as the rope would allow anyway, and laughed. “You enchanted a rope which has tied us up. Brilliant, Merlin. What kind of a sorcerer are you?”

Merlin wriggled a little, grateful at least there was nothing Arthur could do to him in their present position. “One who isn't very good at enchanting ropes.”

“Is there a counter spell?” Arthur asked, apparently knowing more about magic that Merlin had realised.

“I don't know. I was going to check before...”

Arthur was laughing again. “Before the rope tied you up?”

Merlin nodded, blushing slightly with embarrassment. “Yes.”

“I know not all magic is evil,” Arthur whispered. “I just didn't know some of it was stupid as well.”

He rested his forehead against Merlin's.

They stayed like that for a few long moments and Merlin relaxed. Arthur was heavy but the weight wasn't uncomfortable. Arthur was warm and the feeling of him against Merlin was pleasant, they fitted together so well, even tied up together with rope as they were. Unfortunately the feeling of Arthur against him was also more than a little arousing, as Merlin's body seemed to want to show.

Arthur shifted on top of him. It was clear it had felt Merlin's hardness. Merlin had tried not to get aroused but it had been in vain, He just couldn't resist being this close to Arthur. There was no escape though, no way to run out of the room as he had sometimes had to do after bathing Arthur.

He was about to say some excuse, something about magic and rope, but before he could even utter Arthur's name Arthur shifted against him and pressed down. Merlin's eyes widened as he realised that it wasn't just him who was being effected by their close proximity. Arthur was feeling something too.

It was perhaps inevitable then that Arthur leaned down and fitted their mouths together. It wasn't easy, just kissing Arthur when Merlin longed to run his hands down Arthur's back and tangle them in Arthur's hair, but the rope made it impossible. Thankfully they could have this, this wonderful wet, slightly messy, kiss. Merlin moved up against Arthur.

Arthur pulled back, smiling with the look of something in his eyes and Merlin tried leaning up, encouraging Arthur to kiss him again. He was sure he had a pleading look in his eyes but he didn't care as Arthur took the invitation and this time used his tongue to taste Merlin. As he did so the rope seemed to tighten, pushing their lower halves together.

There was just enough room for them to shift against one another. It wasn't the most graceful of movement but it was enough. Merlin could feel the rope where it rubbed against his skin, he could feel the physical ties that bound them together as they sort to make a different sort of binding between them.

It chafed as he rubbed against Arthur. His breeches were stretched tightly over his groin and it wasn't very comfortable. He knew Arthur was in the same position, the warm hardness providing a symmetry to his own. There were some noises that sounded suspiciously like grunts as they pushed against each other, occasionally managing a kiss.

“If we were free,” Arthur said, sounding a little strained. “The things I would do to you, Merlin.”

“Would they involve your hands?” Merlin replied, finding it hard to breathe.

“And every other part of me,” said Arthur, giving Merlin a quick kiss. “And then you would use your hands and repay the gesture...”

Merlin wriggled his hands in his bonds. “I could tie you up with rope,” he said.

“I'd tie you up,” Arthur replied, pushing down hard on Merlin.

“With an enchanted rope?”

As if the rope knew it seemed to shift around them. They still were unable to escape, they were still tightly bound but there was the feeling as the rope shifted, rubbing bare bits of skin on their backs, going under their shirts. The rope was almost a part of them, like a long caress from a lover.

“”I'm..” Arthur said.

“Yeah..”

Arthur buried his head in Merlin;s neck, kissing it and Merlin was sorry Arthur hadn't thought of that before. Then a warm wetness spread between them and their once frenzied movements stilled.

They lay there, still tangled together grinning at each other like a pair of idiots. Merlin didn't care. As a result it took them a moment to realise that the rope had become loose and slipped off them a little. Arthur moved off the top of Merlin but to his ill concealed delight he rolled off to the side and fling an arm around Merlin.

“We broke the spell then,” Arthur said, yawning.

“Yeah, we did,” Merlin replied, smiling. Daring a little he gave Arthur a quick kiss.

“Not yet, Merlin,” Arthur said, smiling and sounding not at all annoyed.

“Later?” Merlin asked.

“Later,” Arthur confirmed. “We need to get cleaned up.”

Merlin did feel uncomfortably sticky. “I suppose we do.”

Neither of them moved. The rope meanwhile had completely uncoiled itself from them and had wound itself back into a neat coil on the end of the bed. Arthur seemed to be looking at it and then looked at Merlin.

“Do you know any other spells involving rope?” he asked.

“I can find some,” Merlin replied, wondering there was a section for it in his magic book.

“Good,” Arthur pulled Merlin closer. “We'll talk about the other thing later.”

Merlin nodded. He'd known he would always have to have such a talk with Arthur but he was no longer that worried about it. He did feel tired though and Arthur already seemed to be falling asleep, he was now half on and half off Merlin, sleeping as he often did on his front.

Merlin thought maybe he should clean them up a bit first but then the rope wound itself around his ankle and wound itself around Arthur's ankle and Merlin realised he wasn't able to go anywhere. Enchanting the rope hadn't perhaps been such a bad idea after-all.


End file.
